The present invention relates generally to apparel for healthcare providers and, more particularly, to barrier garments for healthcare provider personnel who work in a field environment and/or in uniformed organizations such as the military.
In hospitals, clinics, and the like in the United States, healthcare providers such as physicians, dentists, veterinarians, nurses, paramedics, ancillary healthcare personnel, and the like are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor to wear barrier garments such as gowns or scrubs. These barrier garments are required to prevent the healthcare provider from being exposed to potentially infectious material in body fluids from the patients they treat, and vice versa. Additionally, OSHA requirements do not permit healthcare providers to practice in the same clothes that they wear when not practicing. Clothing used as barrier garments are not allowed to come into contact with the general public outside the use area. The barrier garments must therefore generally be taken off immediately after a single use and laundered or discarded.
These requirements are necessary to prevent the exposure of other persons to potentially infectious materials such as hepatitis B, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and other bloodborne pathogens in body fluids such as blood, saliva, and other oral and respiratory fluids. These OSHA requirements are provided at least in part in Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens; Final Rule, 29 C.F.R. Part 1910.1030 (Dec. 6, 1991), and in Controlling Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens in Dentistry, published as OSHA 3129 by the U.S. Department of Labor in 1992.
However, healthcare providers in uniformed organizations such as the U.S. military branches, paramedics, xe2x80x9cFlying Doctors of America,xe2x80x9d United Nations healthcare providers, humanitarian organizations, xe2x80x9cDoctors Without Borders,xe2x80x9d other internationally serving healthcare providers, and the like that practice in countries other that the U.S. and/or that practice in the field or in combat situations are required by such organizations to wear apparel approved by and consistent with the uniform requirements of the organizations. For example, healthcare providers in the military are required to always wear xe2x80x9cBattle Dress Uniformsxe2x80x9d (BDUs) in accordance with uniform protocol, which BDUs do not provide protection from potentially infectious materials in body fluids. As a result, healthcare providers in these situations often practice in the same clothing in which they eat, socialize, and sometimes sleep. As their BDUs are often splattered with blood and other body fluids after providing field and combat treatment, there is significantly increased the exposure to themselves and others of infectious materials.
Accordingly, what is needed but not found in the prior art is a garment for healthcare providers that provides a protective barrier against infectious materials in body fluids and that is adapted for use in uniformed organizations such as the military and that is capable of being resterilized or throw away.
Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a garment system for healthcare providers that provides a protective barrier against infectious materials in body fluids, semi-fluids, and aerosols, and is adapted for use in uniformed organizations such as the military. Generally described, the present invention comprises pants or other means for substantially covering a person""s lower body, a shirt or other means for substantially covering a person"" upper body, and a hood or other means for substantially covering a person""s head. The pants, shirt and hood form a generally contiguous barrier protecting the wearer from infectious materials in body fluids. The garments may have a pattern in compliance with uniform requirements of an organization, such as camouflage for the military or indicia printed thereon.
The pants may have leg bottoms that can be cinched by any of various means at the ankles and tucked into a wearer""s boots, a variety of size and arrangement of pockets, and a waistband with a drawstring and/or or belt loops. The shirt may have short, medium, or long arm sleeves with ends that can be cinched by any of various means at the wrists, a bottom section that overlaps with the pants waist, and a variety of size and arrangement of pockets. The shirt may also have organizational insignia such as xe2x80x9cU.S. Armyxe2x80x9d or a unit crest sewn or otherwise fixedly attached to the shirt, and personal insignia such as the wearer""s name and rank removably attached to the shirt by hook and loop fasteners, pins, snaps, buttons, or the like. The personal insignia may thus be removed from the shirt which allows for bulk laundering of the garments, for example, laundering of an entire military medical unit""s apparel, and redistribution of the garments by size requests from the unit members without having to sort the garments by name.
The hood may have a generally translucent face shield made of a generally flexible material, such as a clear plastic. One or more openings may be provided in the hood for ventilation and sound transmission. One or more couplings, such as hook and loop fasteners, may be provided for detachably connecting the hood to the shirt, so that the hood can be detached from the shirt and, for example, stored in one of the pants or shirt pockets.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are discussed or apparent in the following detailed description of the invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.